PRESS RELEASE #5
International Institute for Sport and Olympic History
For Immediate release
Subject:
Additional information is available from
Harvey Abrams, President
IISOH
PO Box 175
State College, PA 16804
tel: (814) 321-4018
email: iisoh@aol.com
Press release follows:
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The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has sued the International
Institute for Sport and Olympic History (IISOH) in United States Federal
Court in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in order to force the IISOH to remove
the word “Olympic” from its name. The IISOH first learned about the suit
when the Associated Press called for an interview. The President, Harvey
Abrams, was served with legal papers several days later. A response to the
suit was filed on February 25 asking the Court for additional time to
respond because the IISOH was searching for an attorney who would like to
argue the case in Federal Court.
Harvey Abrams, President of the IISOH, has discussed the strategy with some
Board members and decided to go to the general public for their opinion.
“We believe strongly that the use of the word “Olympic” is a valid and
legitimate use under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sport Act. But we
are not really interested in fighting with the USOC – we prefer to have
them support our project which is to build a large library and museum
devoted to the history of sport, physical education, recreation, dance,
sport in art and the Olympic Games. In fact our emphasis is more on the
ancient Olympic Games than the modern Olympic Games. Very clearly anyone
can see that the use of the word “Olympic” in our name describes the kind
of history that we study - “sport history” and “Olympic history.” We
certainly cannot create a product to sell called “Olympic history” and we
have no plans to use Olympic rings or sell t-shirts or any other product
that would interfere with the US Olympic Committee developing future teams.
They seem to be barking up the wrong tree.”
The IISOH needs to decide if it should fight the legal battle on principle
or simply change its name. If the IISOH fights on principle it would need a
lawyer who wants to do it on a pro bono basis. If the IISOH changes its
name then it would simply be called the “International Institute for Sport
History”. Abrams stated that ”It’s really not such a big deal. It’s really
more a matter of principle. I am a Physical Education teacher and a
professional sport and Olympic historian. Our project is to collect all the
books in the world on sport and Olympic history. It is rather unbelievable
that we cannot use the word “Olympic” in this sense.”
The IISOH wants the public’s opinion. Should the IISOH change its name or
keep its name and fight with the US Olympic Committee? In order to make
this decision the IISOH invites the media to take the poll – so that the
IISOH has no control over the results. According to the Institute the media
and sports fans should set up blogs to take polls. The IISOH will watch and
take note while preparing the legal defense in the case should it decide to
proceed.
As for the IISOH project – the Olympics are not the immediate concern. That
is reserved for ROCKY. Yes, ROCKY – the bronze statue from the movie ROCKY
III by Sylvestor Stallone. Abrams said “We are planning to buy this statue
and our immediate fund raising event is focused on this acquisition.”
Artist Thomas Schomberg had produced three statues under his contract with
Stallone, the first being the one used in the movie and now placed in front
of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The IISOH had the rights to both ROCKY
#2 and Rocky #3.
The Institute is starting it’s first major fund raising campaign designed
for the public – a Charter membership drive for $25.00 that is unique –
it’s a once-in-a-lifetime donation that gets the donor lifetime
acknowledgement. The IISOH goal is to get every business owner in
Pennsylvania – over 900,000 such owners, to make a single donation of
$25.00 to help fund the first acquisitions and the IISOH General Operating
Fund. Then the Institute wants every coach and Physical Education teacher
in the entire USA to become a Charter Member for the same once-in-a-lifetime
donation. Abrams stated that the purpose of this strategy is to
avoid annual fund-raising events....”we do not want to have annual events
and compete with the many other charitable organizations that raise money.
If we can get every business owner, coach, teacher or family to make a onetime
donation then we can establish a nice endowment and work off the
interest – never asking for money again. How can this possibly be related
to the US Olympic Committee and their programs?”
The IISOH will seek much larger donations from philanthropies and corporate
sponsors. The major funding -- $30 million donations – must come from
corporate donors that will have lifetime naming opportunities for the three
main buildings on the campus -- the Library, the Museum and the Theater.
There are other naming opportunities such as the restaurant which will be
a separate building with an outdoor, European-style cafe surrounded by
sculpture gardens, playgrounds and recreational facilities. There are
numerous sports facilities planned as well as a full-size operating
reproduction of the ancient stadium at Olympia, Greece. All of the major
donations will enable those donors to have lifetime naming opportunities.
For the IISOH it means the creation of a permanent operating endowment. The
IISOH has set a goal of raising $200 million for the endowment in order to
support the project in perpetuity.
The IISOH will eventually employ a permanent staff of 30 or more in the
Library and Museum, with as many as 300 full and part-time staff once the
entire facility -- the library, museum, restaurant, stadium and indoor/outdoor sports facilities -- is completed.
More information about the IISOH is available at the IISOH website:
http://www.iisoh.org
end of Press release #5
For more information contact:
Harvey Abrams, President
International Institute for Sport and Olympic History
PO Box 175
State College, PA 16804
email:
The International Institute for Sport and Olympic History (IISOH) is a Pennsylvania
non-profit educational, literary and research corporation under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
The IISOH is organized to operate a Library and Museum devoted to the History of Sport,
Physical Education, Recreation, Dance, Sport in Art and the Olympic Games.
Donations are tax deductible.